Love's Perfect Example
by Doolster
Summary: Hinata asks Naruto to help her train. Will she finally confess? If so, what will Naruto say? How will this affect their lives as ninja.
1. A Long Time Coming

I do not own the anime or any of the characters listed in the story. All credit goes to the creators. In addition, Chapter 1 of this story is not my work. To view a link to the original creator of Chapter 1, visit my profile for a link.

Chapter 2 and so on is my own work. I hope you enjoy.

**Love's Perfect Example**

**Chapter 1:** **A Long Time Coming**

"Th-thank you for coming and helping m-me with my training, N-Naruto-kun." Hinata shyly said as the blonde walked into the Hyuuga compound.

"No problem Hinata." He replied with his cheery grin. "I'm surprised you didn't ask your father or Neji... or even Kiba or Shino to spar with you."

"W-well... they were all busy." she lied. She just wanted an excuse to be with him. She wanted to try and gather the courage to finally tell him her true feelings.

The match began easily, as the two moved around, jabbing and blocking, much like a boxing match. But as time passed they began to read the others moves and the match became more intense.

"You're doing great Hinata." Naruto said, causing the shy Hyuuga to blush.

"U-umm...A-arigato, N-Naruto-kun." Hinata said as she blocked another punch from Naruto.

The match continued for several minutes, but Hinata's reflexes began to weaken the longer she spent with Naruto. "I'm sparring with Naruto-Kun." was her only thought.

Naruto stopped, "Hinata... you're not concentrating." Naruto said. "And you look a little warm. Your face is all red."

"Oh... G-gomen." she said. "I am a little hot, yes." Hinata unzipped her Jacket, and Naruto blushed as he saw her chest, his only thought was, "Wow... she really has grown."

"N-Naruto-kun?!" Hinata said, noticing his vacant stare.

"Huh?! OH YEAH!" he said, snapping out of his stare, his face red too.

They continued to spar for a few more minutes. Hinata was more focused now in order to impress Naruto. Suddenly she moved forward with a jab, and Naruto blocked it and kicked her feet from under her, and she grabbed him as she fell forward, and landing on top of him. After a second to gather her senses, Hinata realized she was on Naruto. "HUH?! G-Gomenasai." she said.

"It's ok." Naruto said, chuckling.

The moment continued in silence for a short while.

"Err... Hinata... you can get up now." Naruto said, getting a little nervous, as his cheeks began to blush.

Hinata sat up on Naruto, and looked him in the eyes. Naruto could see she wanted to say something, but couldn't.

"Umm... H-Hinata?!" Naruto said. "Are you okay?"

"N-Naruto-kun." Hinata began. Her voice low. "Do... do you...umm... does this mean I win?"

"W-win?" Naruto said, gulping. "I-I guess so." he said, turning away from Hinata. He couldn't look at her, "Why am I so nervous. It's just Hinata. So what if we're in this kind of position." He was thinking.

"N-no... that's not what I wanted to ask." Hinata said, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"Hinata? What is it? What's wrong?" Naruto asked, turning back to her as he heard her begin to sob.

"I... I'm such a coward." she said, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

"No you're not." Naruto said, "You're strong."

"No I'm not." Hinata said, raising her voice uncharacteristically. "I want to tell you I... I want to... But I can't."

"Tell me what?" Naruto asked, cocking his head to one side.

Hinata didn't say anything; she just sat there on Naruto's lap. Naruto could see how upset she was and sat up, wrapping his arms around her.  
Hinata was shocked, Naruto was holding onto her so lovingly.

"I love you." she said, her words just quietly blurted out. Hinata gasped when she realized she had actually confessed, and her face went bright red in embarrassment.

Naruto chuckled.

"N-Naruto-kun?!" Hinata said, her heart breaking, "Why is he laughing?" she thought as more tears began to appear. She felt like running away and hiding forever. Naruto obviously didn't feel the same way, and was laughing at her. She felt stupid and humiliated.

"Hinata." Naruto said, bringing her face to his. There was a big grin on his face. "Why didn't you say so sooner?" he asked, chuckling, "You shouldn't have been afraid to say what you feel. Look at me! I'm never afraid to speak my mind."

Hinata was now confused. Was he okay with her confession or not? Hinata looked into his eyes; "Naruto-kun?" was all she could say, as she closed her eyes and prepared for a kiss.

Naruto stopped chuckling and looked at Hinata. He then moved his lips closer to hers until they met. Their hearts both jumped as they felt a spark flow through them. The kiss lasted for a minute or so, and when it broke, they looked at each other, blushing, and smiling.

"So... does this mean... you like me too?" Hinata asked.

"Err.... y-yeah." Naruto replied.

Hinata smiled even more as the two kissed again, this time interrupted by the deep and stern cough of the Hyuuga leader.

"Am I... interrupting?" he asked, staring at Hinata as she sat on Naruto in her compromising fashion.

"N-No." Naruto said, as the two quickly got to their feet. "W-we were j-just sparring."

"Yes f-father." Hinata said, "I fell over."

"Indeed." Hiashi said giving both a stern look. "I'm keeping an eye on you Uzumaki." he said threateningly as he left.

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief as he turned to Hinata and smiled. "So... wanna go for some ramen? We can call it a date if you want."

"H-hai." Hinata quickly answered, as she snuck her hand into Naruto's. The two walked out of the Hyuuga compound with smiles on their faces, Hinata especially so. She had won her sparring match, and the love of her life.


	2. First Date

**Chapter 2: First Date  
**

Naruto looked down at Hinata. "Do you think your father will be okay with this?"

"Huh?!" Hinata looked up at Naruto. She knew what he was asking. "W-with what?"

"Us!" Naruto said with a huge smile.

Hinata looked down and blushed. She still had a hard time believing what had happened. She tightened her grip in Naruto's hand. "Um. . .um. . .don't worry about him. I'm sure he'll be okay with it Naruto-kun."

Naruto let out a quick chuckle. "Good! Now let's hurry. I'm starved."

"Hai!" Hinata exclaimed.

The couple continued to walk while holding each other's hands. There was silence amongst the two. Hinata leaned her head onto Naruto's shoulder. At that moment, Naruto felt a sudden burst of joy and warmth flow through his body and soul.

"Hinata." Naruto softly said.

"Huh!?" Hinata gasped as she suddenly raised her head. "Was that move too sudden?" She thought.

Naruto looked at Hinata with a smile. "Oh. . . it's nothing."

Hinata smiled back and hesitantly laid her head back onto Naruto's shoulder.

The couple finally made it to Ichiraku's ramen bar and they both sat down. Hinata grabbed a menu and glanced through it unsure of what they served. Naruto, whom already knew what he wanted, didn't see anyone behind the bar.

"Hey old man, where are you?" Naruto screamed out.

Teuchi and Ayame both rush up front. "Domo Naruto! What will it be?" Teuchi asked. He glanced over at Hinata. "Oh . . . who's this lovely young lady? I'm sure I've seen you around these parts before."

"Uh. . . H-hai!" Hinata shyly said. "I-I'm Hyuuga Hinata."

Teuchi nodded in acknowledgement. "Good indeed! What will it be for the two of you?"

"I'll have my usual, old man!" Naruto excitedly exclaimed.

"I'll have what he's having." Hinata said. She didn't know what she was ordering, but she didn't care. She was just so happy to be with Naruto.

Teuchi smiled. "Okay! Coming right up!"

Moments later, Ayame served the couple their dishes of pork ramen. "You two enjoy." She said with a cheerful grin.

"Alright!" Naruto exclaimed while grabbing a pair of chopsticks. He picked up the bowl of ramen and started slamming it down.

Hinata grabbed a napkin and some chopsticks and slowly tasted her dish. "Not bad." She thought to herself while taking another small bite. She looked over at Naruto who seemed to be halfway finished with his dish.

Naruto noticed her stare and set his bowl down. The two locked onto each other's eyes for several seconds. The feeling they both felt at that moment was unfamiliar, but one of the best feelings anyone could ever imagine.

"Naruto-kun." Hinata softly said in a calm soothing voice.

Naruto grinned and blushed, "I can't act like my normal goofy self in front of her." He thought as he grabbed a napkin, sat up, and took smaller bites.

Hinata put her hand over her mouth and began to chuckle. Naruto glanced over at her and began to chuckle. After a few seconds, their chuckle turned into laughter.

"Hey Hinata! Do you want to do something after this?" Naruto asked.

Hinata blushed and fidgeted with her fingers. "Hai mochiron!" She said with excitement.

The two finished their bowls and stood up from their stools. Naruto pulled out his green frog and left some money on the table.

"Arigato come again." Teuchi yelled as the couple left.

Naruto and Hinata left the Ichiraku ramen bar and slowly walked side by side down the walkway. Hinata reached for Naruto's hand and took hold. She looked around and noticed the sun was low in the sky. Naruto noticed Hakate Kakashi walking towards them reading one of his Make out Paradise books.

The couple stopped and Naruto let out a big smile. "Hey! Kakashi-sensei!" He said while waving his right hand.

Kakashi looked up from his book and saw Naruto and Hinata. Naruto still had his big smile, and Hinata had a content and gazed look on her face. Kakashi's uncovered eye widened as he viewed the newly formed couple together tenderly holding hands.

"Naruto? . . . H-Hinata?" Kakashi cleared his throat. "Did I miss something?"

Naruto moved his hand to the back of his head. "We just hooked up earlier this afternoon!" Naruto looked down at the blushing Hyuuga. "Right Hinata?"

"Hai!" Hinata exclaimed with much enthusiasm. "W-we just finished eating some ramen."

Kakashi fidgeted with his mask. "Hmm. . . Ramen. Why doesn't that surprise me?" He uttered to himself. "C'mon Naruto, you can do better than that. But that's Naruto for you." Kakashi thought with some amusement. He ran his eye over the couple. "It does seem strange that they would end up together. I didn't think Naruto liked Hinata too much. I wouldn't have imagined this at all, but Naruto is our number one ninja for surprises." His thoughts continued. He closed his eye and a smile formed under the mask. "Well you two have fun today."

Naruto gave thumbs up. "Yeah! You got it!" He exclaimed. Hinata shyly looked up at Naruto with a big smile.

Kakashi quickly vanished and the couple was alone again.

Naruto moved in front of Hinata and gently took hold of her forearms. "So, what do you want to do?" He said with his usual big smile.

Hinata gulped. "Well…um… I um…whatever you want to do Naruto-kun." Her voice was low. Having Naruto this close to her caused a warm and unfamiliar sensation to flow through her body which caused her soul to cry out in joy. These feelings flowing through her were indeed new and unfamiliar, but she didn't even try to make sense out of them because they felt so right and so wonderful.

"Maybe we can. . ." Naruto paused when he noticed the content and comforting look over Hinata's face. A soft breeze blew causing her hair to slightly wave and move about adding to the aroma of her beauty. ". . . go where Shikamaru watches the clouds and watch the sunset." Naruto finally continued. "He's on a mission, so he won't be there."

Hinata's eyes closed. Another burst of joy flowed through her. "Perfect! Being alone with Naruto-kun watching the sunset?" Her thoughts flowed. She opened her eyes gazing at the blonde awaiting her reply. "I . . . would love that Naruto-kun."

"Alright!" Naruto excitedly yelled as he locked arms with Hinata.

The two slowly walked toward Shikamaru's favorite hangout spot. Naruto couldn't believe that earlier today, life was going about its normal ways, and now he was walking the streets of Konoha, arms locked, with his new girlfriend.


	3. True Feelings from the Heart

**Chapter 3: True Feelings from the Heart  
**

Naruto and Hinata arrive at Shikamaru's bench. Both sit down together with about a six inch space between them.

Naruto looked over at Hinata. "Nice evening." He stated.

"Yeah." Hinata's voice was quiet. "It is." She glanced down at her jacket and unzipped it. "It's quite warm." She said taking her jacket off.

Naruto's eyes widened as he looked her over. "She has a really nice figure and has really grown into a beautiful girl." He excitedly thought.

Noticing Naruto's vacant stare, Hinata slowly turned her head until their eyes met. She had a surprised look on her face as she looked continuously into Naruto's eyes.

"You're beautiful." Naruto uttered under his breath.

"Huh?" Hinata gasped as she came out of her hypnotic gaze.

"Er. . ." Naruto gulped not realizing he had really said anything. "I. . . you're really beautiful Hinata." He said while forming a warm smile.

Hinata quickly looked down at the concrete, her face turning bright red. A few seconds pass and she turned back to Naruto. "You. . .you r-really think so?"

Naruto noticed a hint of tears forming in her eyes. "Yeah, I really do. And I'm not afraid to speak my mind." Naruto continued as Hinata slowly formed a shy smile. He studied her complexion thoroughly. "You have such a beautiful smile, you have gorgeous eyes, and I love your hair." Naruto's voice was calm. "I think your overall body complexion is so beautiful." He noticed what he was saying wasn't things he would normally say, but that made him believe he was speaking from his heart.

Hinata inched closer to Naruto until their bodies came in contact. Naruto lifted his arm and reached around Hinata. She turned her body towards Naruto's and rapped her arms around him and leaned her head against his chest. She took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly as she cuddled deeply onto his body. She closed her eyes. Naruto tightened his grip around her.

"Thank you. . . Naruto-kun." Hinata said in a soft shaky voice.

Naruto ran his fingers through her hair. "Huh? For what?"

Hinata's eyes winced and some tears streamed down her cheeks.

Another strange feeling flowed through Naruto's soul as he kept his gaze on the Hyuuga lying on his chest. "What is this feeling?" He thought to himself. He continued to run his fingers through Hinata's soft hair. "Her body is so warm, and brings out warm feelings within my own. Her hair is so soft and beautiful." Naruto noticed his thoughts trailing off, but he couldn't help but continue as he ran his fingers down her back. "Her skin is so smooth and seems to be flawless."

Hinata shivered slightly as Naruto's fingers reached her lower back.

"Oh Gomenasai." He quietly said.

She opened her eyes and gazed up at Naruto. "It's okay Naruto-kun." She sniffled, wiped her eyes, and laid back onto Naruto.

"Why are you crying?" He wanted to know what she was thanking him for. "And why are you thanking me?"

Hinata sat back up and ran her hands through her hair which scattered across her shoulders. She thought about what to say to him. "Should I tell him why?" She thought while pondering her decision. "I've come this far, I think I'm safe to tell him." She concluded. "Because you now seem to finally respect me Naruto-kun, and you have accepted my feelings for you." She said. Hinata started to choke up again. "I have trained and worked so hard for many years to prove to you that I can change for the better, and that I am capable of never giving up no matter how hard the situation seems to be." She wiped her eyes.

Naruto looked down and moved his eyes back at the crying girl.

Hinata spoke in a quiet voice. "Ever since I was a kid, I have watched you train and become stronger. No matter what the outcome, no matter how horrible you were treated, and no matter how hard the situation, you kept on going with a smile on your face." Her sobbing continued, but she kept going. "You never gave up no matter what. That is what caused me to fall in love with you. Watching you over the years has given me the strength to give everything my best. When you were away, I trained almost every day to make myself stronger." She looked down and closed her eyes.

Naruto looked up and noticed the sun was behind the trees almost ready to set. "So all of your efforts as a ninja . . . were for me?"

Hinata raised her head and looked toward the setting sun. "I also wanted to improve as a ninja so my family would accept me, and not think of me as weak." She said as she started to calm a little.

Naruto put his hand on her shoulder. "Neji seems to be proud of you."

"Hai, some of my efforts seemed to have paid off. But . . . if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to achieve them." She quietly said.

"Without me?" He softly asked.

Hinata nodded. "You never giving up caused me to never give up." She said. "Watching you gave me strength."

Naruto looked down and thought about his childhood. "When I was young, people would reject me because of the Kyuubi sealed inside me. People thought I was dangerous and wanted nothing to do with me." Much to Naruto's amazement; he felt his eyes moisten with tears. "I spent a lot of time angry at myself for having the beast sealed inside me, and I was always angry that people kept shoving me aside." Naruto sighed and began to choke up. "In my early days at the academy, everyone would laugh and make fun of me for always screwing up." He paused for a few seconds.

"You don't have to keep going if you don't want to." Hinata reassured him in a soothing voice.

Naruto continued. "I didn't like the person I was becoming, so I started training really hard. My academy grades were low, but I kept training." He wiped his eyes. "I wanted everyone to respect me, so I set myself a goal to become Hokage. I still feel I can achieve my dream." He said while forming a smile.

"Naruto-kun." Hinata uttered.

He looked at Hinata. "There were only a couple of people who never thought of me in a bad way. One was Iruka-sensei, and the other was . . . you Hinata." He smiled.

She formed a shy smile. "Naruto-kun, you may have the beast sealed inside you, but you are a great person. Everyone else may have been afraid of you, but I could see past that. I could see the real you. I know in my heart that you would never do anything horrible, and that you're a loving person." Hinata continued. "And now look at you. You have achieved so much, and it seems a lot of people now look up to you."

Naruto looked over at the sunset. Hinata turned to see the different colors of orange and yellow. After a moment, they simultaneously turned back and gazed at each other. Hinata stared into Naruto's icy blue eyes and Naruto looked into Hinata's bright pupil less eyes.

"Naruto." Hinata whispered. "I love you."

In Naruto's eyes, Hinata appeared to glow under the lighting of the sunset. "You are the most beautiful thing in the world." He found himself saying as his heart melted. Before becoming coherent of his thoughts and actions, a mysterious force took over. Hinata gasped as she tried to make sense of the mysterious force that now engulfed her. Naruto became aware of the surprised look in the Hyuuga's eyes as well as the warm skin he felt under his palms. Hinata's soul let out a burst of joy as she found her hands grasping the back of Naruto's jumpsuit. Their thoughts became clear as they noticed the closeness of one another which could only mean one thing.

After a moment of intensity, their kiss broke free. Their time apart was short lived, and the process started all over again; only this time, they were well aware of the force that glued their souls together. Each kiss was only broken by brief gasps of air. Naruto ran his hands from her shoulders on down to her waist and back up through her midsection. Hinata's hands brushed through his hair and on down his back and up underneath his clothes. She grasped bare skin on his back and pulled him even closer to her. Naruto felt down her arms and ran his fingers across her chest and on down to her legs where he took hold.

"Your skin is flawless." He blurted during a brief break.

Hinata stopped and gasped. "Naruto-kun I lov . . ." She quickly tried to say but was engulfed into another taste of heaven.

"I love you too Hinata." Naruto quickly said as he took hold of her arms and went in for another kiss.

Another few rounds pass and Naruto unzips his jumpsuit and throws it down on the concrete revealing a tight black T-shirt. Hinata immediately ran her hands up Naruto's arms and down his chest as they dived back in for more tasteful events. Naruto grasped Hinata and ran his hands down to her chest, and took hold of her breasts. He could feel her heart pounding under her chest. Hinata took hold of his arm and pressed his hand even harder against her chest. With her other hand, she reached up underneath his T-shirt and attempted to take it off. However, all was interrupted when the two heard the sound of a branch cracking in the trees nearby.

The couple immediately stopped and looked to see who was there. They saw a figure walking through the trees, but couldn't make out who it was due to the dim lighting. Naruto and Hinata both sat in silence until the person was gone.

A moment passed and Hinata looked back at Naruto. They both were still out of breath.

Hinata's face was flushed from the activities that just took place. "Gomensai Naruto, I didn't mean to . . ." She was interrupted by Naruto taking hold of her hand.

"There's no need for you to apologize." Naruto pulled Hinata into his arms. "I was the one who started everything."

She wrapped her arms around Naruto. "It was wonderful." She whispered.

Naruto and Hinata held each other lovingly as he inhaled her scent and she took in his.

The light above the bench flickered on and the couple sat up and gazed into the dimly lit mauve sky. After a few minutes of silence, Hinata scooted in and laid onto Naruto's chest. Naruto moved his arm around her and took hold of her hand.

"Hinata can I ask you something?" Naruto asked glancing down at Hinata.

She nodded.

"You know earlier when I said that I'm not afraid to speak my mind?" He asked glancing down at Hinata.

She nodded again. "Hai. I do."

Naruto gulped nervously. "There is something I want to tell you."

Hinata immediately felt nervous. "What is it Naruto-kun."

Naruto began. "For the longest time, I had a crush on Sakura."

A lump formed in Hinata's throat as her heart began to hurt. "No!" She cried in her mind.

"But over the years, she never returned the same feelings I had for her." Naruto continued. "However, she has always been a great friend since the days of Team 7; a harsh friend, but a great one. But it was never more than that."

Hinata could feel herself tense up as her eyes began to water.

"It wasn't until recently that I gave up on her." Naruto gulped once again and took a deep breath. "Because I realized that I started to have feelings for someone else."

Hinata swallowed. "Who?" She asked hesitantly.

"There was a reason why I agreed to help you train earlier today." Naruto said. "For a while now when I would see you around, it felt like your heart would cry out to mine. It was a mysterious feeling before, but now it all makes sense."

Hinata tightened her grip in Naruto's hand and he kissed the top of her head. There was a long pause.

"Keep going." Hinata whispered.

Naruto cleared his throat. "I don't know if I should. You might think this is crazy and too sudden."

She shook her head. "You said that you were never afraid to speak your mind."

Naruto suddenly became even more nervous as Hinata heard his heart beat speed up. "The time we have spent together this evening has made me realize something. I feel like you fill in the hole in my heart. Having you here with me makes my soul feel complete." Naruto said as the weird feelings he'd felt all evening made perfect sense. He closed his eyes and awaited her reply.

Hinata began to cry as she sat up.

Naruto felt uneasy. "Hey Hinata, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said . . ."

"No!" She cried. "It's not that. I'm really glad you told me how you truly feel, because I share the same feelings for you. I really do." Her eyes were locked onto Naruto. "I probably couldn't have had it any other way. If you had rejected my feelings for you, I don't know what I would have done." She wiped her eyes. "Naruto-kun I love you. I love you so much it hurts." She reached over and hugged him tightly.

He hugged her in return with much relief. "I love you too Hinata. It's okay, you don't have to cry."

"I'm sorry Naruto-kun." She sniffled. "I-I'm just . . ."

Naruto released and raised her chin. "It's okay."

The couple leaned in for a kiss which lasted several seconds. Naruto leaned back against the bench, and Hinata resumed her position on his chest. The two sat in silence. Naruto slowly ran his hand up and down her arm, while she rubbed her hand on his thigh.

Naruto's thoughts started wandering. "Is it even possible for my feelings for Hinata to come this far in such a short amount of time?" He began to run his fingers through her hair. "It just seems way to fast." He continued in his mind. A few minutes pass with blank thoughts and he began to grow tired. He looked down at Hinata and noticed her hand was motionless on his thigh. She had fallen asleep. He continued to stare upon her and subconsciously felt the same warm feeling in his soul. "This feeling," he thought "just feels so right. I guess it could be possible." He smiled at himself. "I hope it's possible."

He laid his head back and dosed off.


	4. It's Late

**Chapter 4: It's Late  
**

Naruto was awakened by a moth that landed on his face. He flung it away and noticed a few moths flying around the light above him. He then looked down at Hinata and noticed she was still sleeping peacefully on his chest. Naruto then looked at the sky and noticed it was completely dark.

The stars caught his attention. He had never paid much attention to the night sky in the past, but he appreciated its beauty. Naruto continued to look around. He was surprised he hadn't seen anybody around this area disregarding the mysterious person they saw earlier; however, he was happy nobody came around to bother them. "It's quiet." Naruto thought. The only sounds present were the crickets chirping in the trees, and the buzzing that came from the light above the bench. Every now and then, a small cool breeze would come along. Naruto enjoyed the peace and quiet.

"Hinata." Naruto whispered. He placed his hand on her shoulder and felt it was warm. "Hinata wake up." He gave her a nudge.

She stirred. "Huh?"

"Let's get you home. It's starting to get chilly." He quietly said.

Hinata sat up and noticed the drop in temperature. She wiped her mouth and looked around. "Wow it's really dark." She said.

Naruto stood up and stretched. "Yeah, I think it's getting late, and I don't want your father to worry." He worriedly said as he picked up both of their jackets. He handed Hinata her jacket, and quickly put his on. She did the same as she stood up. Naruto took a deep breath and stretched again. He reached his hand out for Hinata's, and she took hold. They began walking.

"I wonder what time it is." Hinata said.

Naruto was wondering the same thing. "I don't know. It can't be too late." He hoped.

The two walked on into one of the main districts of the village and noticed the lack of people out on the street. Naruto looked around and saw most of the businesses were closed. Growing even more concerned, he ran and looked into a window to try to find the time. Surprised, he ran back, grabbed Hinata's hand, and walked at a fast pace.

"Come on Hinata we need to hurry." He said.

Hinata had a puzzled look. "Why Naruto-kun, what's wrong?"

"It's 11:15 which is extremely late." He answered loudly.

"Huh?" She was indeed surprised, but she pulled Naruto to a stop. "Naruto-kun there's no need to hurry."

Naruto looked shocked. "Why not? Isn't your family going to be worried?"

She fidgeted with her fingers. "Well . . . um . . . they're probably all asleep." She said with a shy smile. She just wanted to spend as much time with Naruto as possible.

Naruto smiled and rubbed the back of his head. "Well if you say so." He said reassured as they began walking once more.

A moment of silence passed and Naruto tried to find a way to break it. After a few seconds, he smiled. "You know Hinata, growing up; I always thought you were kind of strange."

"Eh?" She yelped glancing up at Naruto. She then looked down with hurt feelings.

He glanced down at her. "I'm such an idiot. That probably wasn't the best thing to say." He thought while noticing the depressed look she had. He could feel his face getting hot. "Well what I mean by that is in the past, you would come near me and would always stutter when you tried talking to me, you would always blush, and I've even seen you faint a few times." He sighed. "But I was stupid then. It took me a very long time to really figure out why you would act like that around me." He reached around Hinata and pulled her against him. "I only wish I could have figured it out sooner. Because I believe you are really an amazing person."

Her face lightened up. "Thank you Naruto-kun. That means a lot to me."

Naruto felt relieved that he fixed the situation, but he meant every bit of what he said.

The couple walked in silence. Hinata began to think about how everything had gone today and started to wonder if Naruto really felt as strongly for her as she did for him. "He seems like he does." She thought. "But, if things seem too good to be true; then they usually are." She worriedly thought. "No, he feels equally as much for me as I do for him. I can tell by how he talked and acted toward me this evening." She reassured herself.

A few minutes pass, and the Hyuuga compound came into view.

"Well, we're almost there Hinata." Naruto said as they continued to walk closer.

"Naruto?" Hinata softly asked.

"Huh?" He said casually.

Hinata swallowed hard. "Um . . . do you really love me?"

"Of course I do Hinata."

She looked up at him. "Then I want to hear you say it."

"I don't have to." He said.

Hinata looked shocked. "Why not?" She asked.

"Because." Naruto said.

"I want to hear you say it in words."

"I can't." He softly said.

Hinata looked down and started to cry softly. "Then you don't love me."

The couple reached the gate to the Hyuuga compound.

"Why won't you tell me?" Hinata said while still crying.

Naruto looked down at her. "Do you really want to know?" He said.

Hinata looked up at him. "Y-yes." She hesitantly said.

Naruto hugged her gently, kissed the tip of her nose, and whispered in her ear. "Because three words are not enough. Words cannot explain the feelings I have for you."

* * *

**To Be Continued . . .**


End file.
